#ATXFoodGuyAbroad – Madrid

We spent a total of three nights in Madrid, but non-consecutive, which made our time there pretty interesting. Here is everywhere we ate and drank at that I’ve posted on Instagram from Madrid! Enjoy!

Mercado San Miguel

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For my first day in Spain, @atxcocktails and I walked around Madrid eating small bites and drinking single glasses of wine until it was dinner time. This included a stop at the @mercadosanmiguel where we grabbed an Iberian pork bocadillo, some salmon and mozzarella skewers, and wine. To another stop at Entrevinos for some more wine, cheese, crackers, and chipirones (baby squid). Some random bites here and there while walking about ten miles a day is a great way to experience Europe, no matter where you're at.

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 20, 2019 at 9:23am PDT

Casa Salvador

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Nothing like a delicious meal in a bad ass local restaurant that happened to be visited by Anthony Bourdain at one point. This is @casasalvadormadrid and @atxcocktails and myself ordered a bunch of stuff to share including spanish chorizo, lightly fried hake, oxtail stew, and of course a bottle of wine. Great food, great price, unassuming digs, in a great area of town to continue the night? Can't beat that!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 21, 2019 at 8:43am PDT

El Senador

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One thing Madrid is known for is roasted meats so @atxcocktails and I hit this spot near our hotel called @casasalvadormadrid for lunch to get this staple. We ordered a portion of suckling pig and suckling lamb and, of course, wine, but it also came with some Spanish chorizo, bread, and a dessert coffee liqueur with cream and cinnamon. Such a fantastic lunch with nice little touches that added to the experience. Not to mention the meat made a distinct and beautiful cracking sound when we broke through the skin, with a freaking spoon!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 25, 2019 at 8:18am PDT

Gran Melia – Palacio de los Duques

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Because of a special reward booking at our hotel we had about €85 to kill on food and beverage so we popped in to one of the restaurants for some tapas and drinks one night. We ordered the pulpo, jamón iberico, and patatas bravas and the pulpo (octopus) stole the show on this meal. It was cooked perfectly, not chewy at all, and had a great flavor that was enhanced by the sweet potato pureé it was sitting on. Although I would recommend this place to anyone in Madrid, it's pricey and only really convenient if you're staying at this hotel, that being said, this hotel is freaking nice and is worth a stay if it's in your travel budget!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 26, 2019 at 7:39am PDT

Del Diego Cocktail Bar

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@deldiego_bar is one of the best cocktail bars in Madrid, specializing in classics, so naturally @atxcocktails and I had to check it out on our trip. This is their Tierra Alta drink made with scotch, white vermouth, and cherry brandy for a great variation of a Manhattan. I really enjoyed Del Diego and it was an honor for the brother owners to be the ones behind the bar taking care of us. This is definitely on my public "ATXFoodGuy Recommends…" @googlemaps post that you can freely access from the link in my bio!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 30, 2019 at 6:48pm PDT

Restaurante El Arrozal

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What's one thing you know I'm not gonna miss on my first visit to Spain? – Paella, obviously! @atxcocktails found this spot just a short walk from our hotel on our last night in Madrid. Carlos is quite picky about his paella and this one met his taste requirements, which says something. The crust could've been improved but they're pumping out small paellas pretty fast so that's not entirely unexpected. Definitely check this spot out if you can't get down to Valencia on your trip, it's pretty great!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Nov 7, 2019 at 8:06am PST

Taberna Los Huevos de Lucio

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Where was our absolute final meal in Spain? – Los Huevos de Lucio! – This place is known for having some amazing egg topped fries so we popped in before heading to the airport. Ordered up the classic fried egg and fries as well as an order of their pork cheeks on a bed of mashed potatoes. This was a nice and easy way for @atxcocktails and I to end our time in Spain before hopping a plane to Switzerland to come back home. With that, we'll now return to your regularly scheduled stateside posts! Thank you for joining me on my culinary journey through Spain, I'll be adding all the places I visited to my website soon in case you want to retrace my steps!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Nov 8, 2019 at 8:39am PST